Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality

by Chuck D., Yusuf Jah, Spike Lee (Introduction)

His lyrics are a lesson in history.
His songs are a movement in groove theory.
His book is a light out of the dark that will change the way you think about America and the world as a whole.

From Rap to Hip-Hop, Gangsta to Trip-Hop, Chuck D, his Bomb Squad, and his monumental band, Public Enemy, have been a sonic, singular, and transcendental force in modern music.  As a poet and philosopher, Chuck D has been the hard rhymer, rolling anthems off his tongue in an era of apathy, tapping into the youth culture of the world for more than a decade.

Fight the Power, his first book, part memoir, part treatise, part State of the Union Address, is a testament to his nearly twenty years in the music business and his experiences around the world.  Here is a history of one of the most important and controversial musical movements of our century, its impact on modern culture, and the heroes and victims it has created in its wake.

Chuck D has never been just a rapper.  He's an artist, a rock 'n' roll star who's shared the spotlight with everyone from U2 to Anthrax.  He's fought to bridge the gap between musical genres and cultural differences.  He is truly the voice of a generation.

Startling, gripping, and uncompromising, Fight the Power is most of all the story of one man's struggle to bring about change in this difficult world at all costs.  It is certain to take its place among the classics of African American experience.

Genres: Music, Hip Hop, Nonfiction, Politics, Memoir, Race, Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1997

Reviews

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have a lot of respect for musicians who are conscious of the world around them. what’s the point in making music if you have nothing to say?

[Ali Driggers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chuck D is a very intelligent and successful man. He is the leader of Public Enemy, which is a rap group that raps about politics, racism, and other social issues. The group has made legendary albums. This success gave the group some really amazing experiences. 1997 is the year Chuck D decided to write a book. In this book, Chuck D a ton of things to say. He is very good at writing, and you will see that the minute you start reading the book. This book is a classic piece of literature, and I will explain why.
Chuck D is a very independent thinker. For example, he views the American flag as a symbol of slavery and oppression. While some people may disagree with this view, they will understand it after they find out why he views the flag like that. Chuck D also has some extremely intelligent commentary about racism, sports, his trip to Africa, and so much more. In the beginning of the book, Chuck D talks about TV showing negative stereotypes of African Americans. He strongly criticizes the television companies that show these images. He talks about how blacks don't need to be saying something funny every minute of the day. He also talks about blacks on the news, saying that they should have time to report news, especially news in the African American community. These are the kinds of intelligent things that Chuck D talks about in this book, Chuck D is willing to criticize anything he sees wrong in, and he does it in a very understandable fashion. Chuck D will also talk about his life, as well as his music career. Everything is written with thought, care, and class. Chuck D makes everything sound important, because everything he writes in this book is important.
This book is really educational. I recommend that every teacher, principal, educator, activist, or historian read this book as soon as possible. The reason why is that every kid nine and older should read this book. It contains excellent viewpoints and messages. He is saying some very important things in this book, and everybody should read it. Chuck D writes with the same passion Martin Luther King had when he was alive. Because of this, he share a lot of good points that the entire nation will be able to understand. Even though Chuck D uses profanity in this book, it doesn't make the points seem any less intelligent. This book will provoke thought and discussion in ways the human mind can't even think of. This book will force politicians to think about problems in the urban youth. I don't think that this book has all of the attention that it deserves and needs. Because of that, I recommend that everyone spread the word about this book, so that everyone can read this excellence. My final rating is a 10 out of 10.

[Gabe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chuck is a very interesting guy. Having listened to his records and heard him speak, I've always felt he tends to beat around the bush a lot, but when he does make his point, it's very insightful. This book is no different. There are lots of mistakes as far as grammar in this thing (some are intentional "hip-hop" spelling mistakes while others are unintentional and should have been caught by the editor). Even so, it's a pretty decent read. I especially liked the chapter that covered Public Enemy's experience on the road with U2 in the early '90s.

[Harry · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had some issues with the structure of this. I found the wider reaching political sections interesting and the more autobiographical sections interesting, but didn't really feel they meshed super cohesively. I'd be interested in reading a book more chronologically focused, or Chuck's thoughts on systemic issues, or even a book that combined the two more effectively

I already knew about Flavor Flav's history of domestic violence, but I'm not sure I would have known that if this book was the only thing I knew about him. similarly, I thought his coverage of anti-semitism were overly defensive and didn't really engage with *why* some public enemy lyrics may be construed as anti-semetic

other big thought was that maybe this book came too early. would be interested to know what Chuck's thoughts on hip-hop properly entering the mainstream were. not exactly something that he could help though

[Dooley Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some line that really stood out to me was the purpose statement.It said "the purpose of this book is to expose to the reader. the beauty and depth of Rap and Hip-Hop. This really stood out to me because not many books are like this. When this was written hip-hop was not very popular in main stream media. This is a book that tried to change conceptions about something that some people don't know
a lot about. I really appreciate that it is trying to create change.

[Mike Dambra · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hard read,an important read,and at times a bit hypocritical.

[W M]

I had some difficulty marching through the text, as I am not very familiar with some aspects of language that Chuck D uses. I am used to reading to literature from those are less well known. I support D in what he advocates, and I hope him well. I am not really up to date in Rap culture, but I would be interested in seeing how he has spent the last twenty years as an advocate.

I admit that his language left me a little dismayed at times. His message is so strong and powerful that I do understand why he uses some words the way he does, but I would venture to believe that this is how he feels about the derogatory words that are used by the younger generation. I must be careful though because as a black man, Chuck has faced obstacles that I may never understand, as I am white. Hopefully, I can work to push his vision forward.

As D is in an industry that creates wealth for some who are in it, there were times that I questioned whether his actions stood behind his words, but by the end of the book I was convinced that he is really trying make a difference in the lives of people. After all, there are not very many practitioners that would take to write a book like this. In fact, I strongly believe that we need more books like these, where professionals reflect on their craft. As I see it, this how change will ultimately be made.For that, I commend D.

[Danger Kallisti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it said things that everybody should already know, and nobody ever mentions. Like, a whole lot of no-bullshit, proper observations about people and society. Of course, it also gave a lot of propers to the authors' rap group (understandable, but still a cheesy way to market yourself) and some people I'm not sure about, like Minister Farrakhan. Sure as hell ain't my place to judge, but I can't say I'm behind any separatist movement. Seems regressive.. or somethin.

[Jeffrey Bumiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book, which unfortunately feels a little dated (It was published in 1997). Chuck D lays it all on the line and doesn't shy away from anything. He's always inspiring. To this day I love listening to Public Enemy. It was really exciting to read about Chuck's early years as a radio DJ and of course, the formation and early days of Public Enemy. Must read for any fan or anyone that wants a serious dose of some truth.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

An amazing documentation of HipHop/Rap through the years. It's an encyclopedia to the community, to the mistakes and evolution over the decades. All with a sincere approach to storytelling. It has funny bits as much as it gets into more serious business tips. I would suggest this read to the youth that think LMFAO is good rather than just a funny performance!

[Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is a morning train book
a little rough when compared to some current blogs
but commendable for the message it is putting out there and
the fact that there aren't too many books out there by rappers, period.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this for a Youth Culture course I took during undergrad and have since used excerpts of it (the chapter "Black Community, Where Ya At?") in my teaching. Chuck D's ideas are frightening, brilliant, and revolutionary.

[Donald · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, but the book is over 10 years old. I got it used and some of the incidents he references without explanation, I rembember hearing about but since they're so far in the past I don't remeber the details. I like the explantions of some of the thought behind PE's lyrics.

[sanjana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read it for an awesome class with Dr. George White :)

[RK Byers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Black, Too Strong

[Scott Butki]

I enjoy reading his writing and was a fun of public enemy so im hoping this will be an eduacational and entertaining read.